OpenResearch announcementOpportunity NNH26ZDA016C

Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute Cooperative Agreement Notice-5 (SSERVI CAN-5)

NASA Headquarters · National Aeronautics and Space Administration

At a glance

Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute Cooperative Agreement Notice-5 (SSERVI CAN-5) is an open federal cooperative agreement opportunity from NASA Headquarters (National Aeronautics and Space Administration). Applications are due December 4, 2026. Applicant types listed as eligible include others (see notice). Cost sharing is not required. It is funded under Assistance Listing 43.001 (Science).

Summary assembled from the official notice's fields. The official notice governs.

Key facts

Sep 1, 2026Posted
Dec 4, 2026Application deadlinenext date
Jan 3, 2027Archived

Posted: Sep 1, 2026
Close date: Dec 4, 2026
Archive date: Jan 3, 2027
Award floor: Not specified
Award ceiling: Not specified
Est. total funding: Not specified
Expected awards: Not specified
Cost sharing: Not required
Funding instrument: Cooperative Agreement
Opportunity category: Discretionary

Typical awards for this program (SAM.gov listing for ALN 43.001, not this notice): Total individual award sizes will vary based on scope from a minimum of about $5,000 to multi-year awards in the tens of millions of dollars.

Who can apply

Others (see notice)

Additional information on eligibility (from the notice)

Proposers must be affiliated with an institution at nspires.nasaprs.com/ and, in general, NASA provides funding only to U.S. institutions. Organizations outside the U.S. that propose on the basis of a policy of no-exchange-of-funds; consult the NASA Grant and Cooperative Agreement Manual (GCAM) (https://www.nasa.gov/grants-policy-and-compliance-team/#Regulations) for specific details. Some NRAs may be issued jointly with a non-U.S. organization, e.g., those concerning guest observing programs for jointly sponsored space science programs, that will contain additional special guidelines for non-U.S. participants. Also reference the GCAM for special instructions for proposals from non-U.S. organizations that involve U.S. personnel for whom NASA support is requested.

Can your organization apply?

A quick check against the listed applicant types — other requirements in the notice still apply.

Based on the published notice. Review the official notice for complete eligibility requirements.

What it funds

Official synopsis as published by the agency, formatted for readability.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Science Mission Directorate (SMD) and Human Spaceflight Mission Directorate (HSMD) have released the fifth Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI) Cooperative Agreement Notice (CAN-5) as NNH26ZDA016C.

SSERVI CAN-5 (NNH26ZDA016C) invites the submission of multi-institutional team-based proposals for research as participating members of the Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI). Proposals must clearly articulate an innovative research program addressing basic and/or applied research fundamental to understanding the nature of the Moon and its near space environment to enable future human exploration of the Moon with Artemis. “Mars forward” proposals that use lunar-focused research to develop approaches to Mars exploration also are welcome.

Though the SSERVI CAN is synopsized on Grants.gov, applications can only be submitted via NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES) at URL https://solicitation.nasaprs.com/NNH26ZDA016C.

A two-step process will be used for proposal submission, in which only proposers that submit a Step-1 proposal will be eligible to submit a Step-2 proposal. Step-1 proposals are due September 29, 2026, and Step-2 proposals are due December 4, 2026.

Proposals to this CAN must be anonymous and will be reviewed using dual anonymous peer review (DAPR). Step-2 (full) proposals will be divided into two Volumes. Volume A consists of the anonymous proposal material, while Volume B contains the non-anonymous material. Proposal review, selection, and award will be implemented according to the guidelines set forth in Sections F and G of the funding announcement. Proposed research that complements current CAN-4 Institute Teams, and/or addresses important research areas not currently covered in the Institute will be given strong consideration (see: http://sservi.nasa.gov/sserviteams/).

Section D.1.4 “Step-2 Proposal Content” provides important information regarding restrictions and deadlines for Principal Investigator and other key personnel changes and other key date placeholders.

Clarification questions regarding this solicitation should be submitted via email no later than 14 calendar days prior to the Step-2 proposal due date to HQ-SSERVI@mail.nasa.gov. Depending on the nature of the question(s), NASA may respond on an individual basis by email or may post questions and answers (Q&A) no later than 10 days before the Step-2 deadline on the final SSERVI CAN-5 NSPIRES landing page. Posted Q&As are intended to address inquiries of broader interest and general clarification and will be edited to preserve the anonymity of persons and institutions who submit questions.

Additional information from the agency ↗

How to apply

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Read the full announcement (NOFO)Eligibility, evaluation criteria, page limits and required attachments are in the full notice on Grants.gov. Open ↗
Confirm eligibility and fitCheck your organization type above; no cost sharing is required.
Register (or renew) in SAM.gov and get a UEIFree. New registrations can take several weeks; registrations must be renewed every year. Open ↗
Set up Grants.gov accessCreate a Grants.gov account and make sure someone has the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) role. Open ↗
Open the application packageUse opportunity number NNH26ZDA016C on Grants.gov (Grants.gov Workspace). Open ↗
Prepare narrative, budget and attachmentsFollow the notice's format exactly — page limits and required forms are common reasons applications are rejected.
Ask the agency contact any questions earlyCaleb Schuler Grantor · HQ-SSERVI@mail.nasa.gov Open ↗
Submit before December 4, 2026Submit a few days early and keep your Grants.gov confirmation and validation emails.

Assistance Listing

What is an ALN?

43.001ScienceProgram →

Reported obligations under ALN 43.001

Historical data · not a prediction

FY24

$922M

FY25

$1.19B

FY26

$907M est.

Source: SAM.gov Assistance Listing 43.001. Program-wide totals, not awards from this specific opportunity.

Agency contact (as published)

Caleb Schuler Grantor
HQ-SSERVI@mail.nasa.gov
2406169381

Quick answers

When is the deadline for this opportunity?

According to the official notice, applications are due December 4, 2026. Confirm the deadline and submission time on Grants.gov before applying.

Who is eligible to apply for this opportunity?

The official notice lists these applicant types as eligible: Others (see notice). Additional restrictions may apply; review the full notice.

How do I apply for this opportunity?

Applications are submitted through the official source, not through GrantsJunction. Open the official notice on Grants.gov (opportunity NNH26ZDA016C), and review the full announcement and application package. Organizations applying through Grants.gov generally need an active SAM.gov registration and a Grants.gov account, which can take several weeks to set up.

Matched on shared Assistance Listings, agency, categories and eligible applicant types.

Closes in 6 daysResearchALN 43.001